Improvement in harvesters



UNITED' STATES PATENT UFFICI-re JAMES s. MARSH, or LEwISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA;

vllvlPuoi/EMl-:NriN HARVESTERS.A Y

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,375, dated May 2], 1861.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. MARsILof Lewisburg, in the county of Union and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement iniSelf-Raking Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same,l

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a plan or top-view of a harvester with my improvements applied to it. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are views of detached portions of the raking contrivance. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the harvester, looking from the grain side `of the platform. Fig. 7 is a similar section from the driving-wheel side of the machine. Fig. 8 is a transverse section in the line of the axis of the driving-wheel.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates, first, to an arrangement of raking device; second, to an arrangement of lever for throwing the machine out of gear 5 and, third, to an arrangement for adjusting the harvester.

Ihe cutting apparatus, draft-frame, gearing, and platform of my harvester are similar in construction to harvesters in use, and therefore need not here be described, except as connected with my improvements. j

My first improvement is as follows: The shaft or axle A of the driving-wheel Bis hollow, and

a sliding rod, C, with a treadle, C', on its outer end is passed through the same, said rodextending through a spring, 2, and entirely through the axle, and having attached to its inner end a crank-arm, D, which has two inclined teeth, a, formed on the inner face of its box or eye, so that they may gear alternately at each halfrevolution with a similar inclined tooth, b,

' formed on the shoulder `c of the axle of the of has the teeth set in its under side and a canvas guard attached to its upper side,while the short end e reaches nearly to the front side of the axle o f the driving-wheel, and attached by means `of a ball-j oint to a vertical support or standard, f, of the draft-frame, as represented. To the orner or angle of the rake-arm a connecting-link,.F, attaches by a pivot, and to the wrist-pin of thecrank-arm D a pitman, Q, at-

other. end of said pitman the front end of the connecting-link F attaches by a balljoint, h, `as represented. The pitman has its support-,ora horizontal guide rod or way, H', arranged on the side of the draft-frame and forward of the driving-wheel axle, being connected to atraversing slide, H, of the same by means of a double joint, z' j, as represented. On the back edge of the crank-arma camshaped projection, I, is formed, said projection extending in an oblique direction toward the that it presents a lateral stop, k, and a back stop, Z, and at the same time presents an incline or cam-shaped surface, m. In connection with the cam projection just described and lugs nl n on the circumference of the shoulder of the hollow axle a sliding plate, J, is employed, said plate being arranged in rear of the hollow axle A on guideway L of the draftframe, so as to move back against a spring,o, when pressure is brought to bear against it, and to fly forward automatically when the pressure is withdrawn. Projecting up from the end ofthe plated thereisavertical lug, 1J, and from the side near the front end of the plate there projects a lug, q, which is inclined on its side edge in the manner represented. This plate is only used when it is desired not to have the of the wheel. -When it is4 desired not to have the plate operate,it islocked back or removed. In order to guide the rake and support it at the extremity of its forward movement, the inner guard, 0, is hollowed out `or curved, as represented.

lows:l Suppose the rake-head to be in its extreme rear position, and the machine just started. The machine traveling forward, the driving-wheel makes a half-revolution before the inclined tooth b takes hold ofthe inclined taches by means of a ball-joint, g, and to the face of the driving-wheel, and being so shaped I rake sweep off a bundle at everysingle turn The operation of the raking device is as foltooth a of the crank-arm.\A,s soon as the two teeth gear, the rake-head begins to move upj ward and toward the front edge of the platform, it being elevated in an inclined position, and drawn forward by the crank-arm and pitman until the pitman and crank-arm perform the extent of 'their back movement, and assume a position just or nearly the converse of that which'they occupied when the rake was at vits extreme rear position-that is, stands on a line at right angles to-a perpendicular, but on the front side of the axle-at which stage the rake-head by its gravity descends, and its teeth stand at right angles to the surface of the platform. At this stage the crank-arm begins to move forward by reason ofthe second tooth of the crank-arm gearing with the tooth b, and in doing so draws the rake-head over the platform without raising its teeth out of contact therewith until the grain on the platform has been discharged in a gavel off the platform, when it, (the crank,) assisted by the curved guard O, elevates the rake-head above the platform and out of contact with the falling gavel. When it is desired to have the driving-wheel perform one revolutiony and a half before the rake sweeps off a gavel of grai'n, the sliding plate J is adjusted so as to be struck by the lugs n of the axle and the cam projection I of the crank-arm during the operation.

It will beseen that as the axle revolves, the inclined surface m of the cam I comes in contact with the inclined surface of the lug q, and as the lug q cannot yield laterally the crankarm must do so, and therefore its tooth a is thrown omt of gear with the tooth b of the axle, and the connection between the axle and crankarm thus destroyed, and the rake is left stationary until the tooth b again comes round and gears with the tooth a. It should be here observed that immediately after the connection between the rake and axle ceases, one of thelugs n of the axle strikes the lug q, and

` throws the plate I-back a sufficient distance to allow the cam projection, with its stops k and Z, to move inward laterallya distance sufcient to insure a regearing with the axle at the proper period, and as soon as this occurs the spring o returns the plate to its original position, and said plate incoming back suddenly arrests the crank in a retrograde movement, which always take/place just at this stage of the operation on account of its gravity. The operation-continuing, the tooth b comes around and' regears with the crank-arm and moves the rake upward and forward, and also again back over the platform with the gavel of grain in the same manner as before described. When it is desired to have the'driving-wheel perform two revolutions and the rake to only sweep the platform once during the same period, the second inclined tooth, d, is turned from the position shown in red lines to the position shown iirblack lines. By thus adjusting the tooth d it acts as a stop to prevent the teeth a a from regearing with the tooth b after the disconnection has been effected by the cam .support on the lever.

flat or spiral spring 2 returns the shaft to its f proper position when the treadle is released.

My second improvement is as follows: In rear of the support of the drivers seat K an angular casting, L, is arranged. This casting has astop projection,V, cast on its front side, and also a straight slot, r, in its upper portion. Through the base ofthe casting another straight slot, s, is formed, and from ne side of this slot an ear, t, projects upward. The base of the casting forms the upper half of the box for the shaft which carries the pinion that gears with the driving-wheel. Through the slots r and s of the casting a vertical lever, u, plays freely, said lever having a forked clutch on its lower end, so as to take hold of the shaft of the pinion, and being made flexible between its fulcrum and its upper end, so as to have in itself the properties of a spring-catch.

the upper slot and slightly forward, can readily throw out and in gear the large bevel-wheel which actuates the pinion of the crank-shaft of the cutter-bar, and retain the connection or disconnection without otherwise manipulating with the lever.

My third improvement is as follows: 0n the outer side ofthe draft-frame and near the front end a ratchet-arc, R,is arranged, and on one of the standards T of the reel-support a segment of a grooved pulley, U, is hung, and from this pulley a cord or chain, Y, passes down and attaches to the rear end of the short tongue 3, by which the harvester is adjusted. To one side of the pulley a hand1ever,VV, is pivoted, and between the pulley and the lever WV a flat spring, x, is arranged, said spring having its With this arrangement the driver can, while sitting upon the rakerseat X, readily adjust the harvester, and after the adjustment is made no care is necessary on his part to insure its retention in the position to which it has been adjusted, for the spring x holds the lever WV in one or other of the ratchet-recesses ofthe arc R, as represented.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Combining with au automatic harvesterrake and harvester, devices, substantially such as herein described, whereby the rake is caused automatically to ungear with the axle of the driving-wheel when the parts are adjusted to allow the driving-wheel to make more than one revolution, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. The arrangement of the angular rake- With this -arrangement the driver while sitting on his seat, by shifting the lever to the right or left in head E e e', jointed at one end to aiiXed standard, f, the crank D, pitlnan G,`conneotinglink F, transversing slide H', and guideway H, for joint operation, as described, and whereby the rake has the necessary movements upward in an inclining position and back and forth relatively to the platform, substantially as set 3. The co1nbination,with the hollow axle A of the driving-Wheel, of the' sliding rod of the crank-shaft, substantially in the manner' and for the purpose described.

4. Pivoting the lever WV to `the segment grooved pulley U, in combination with the iiat .spring X, bearing against the pulley U, and

Withthe ratchet-toothed are R and the short tongue 3, in the manner herein described.

5. The casting L, forming the upper half ofthe boX of the pinion-shaft, and the standard guide and stop, as described, in combination with the pinion-shaft and With the lever u, forining a clutch and a spring-catch, in the manner and for the purpose described.

-JAMEs s. MARsH.

Witnesses:

. GOODWIN Y. ATLEE,

GUsrAvUs DIETERICH. 

